BLS-Resistant Lettuce Lines Released

Seven new iceberg lettuce breeding lines with resistance to bacterial leaf spot (BLS) have been released by Agricultural Research Service scientists.

BLS, caused by the pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. vitians, is an important disease of lettuce in California. Iceberg lettuce is the most popular type of lettuce eaten in America. Nearly all of the lettuce consumed in the United States is produced domestically. Two states, California and Arizona, produce more than 90 percent of the country's commercial lettuce.